From Israel did 9/11 to Stalin was a Jew: Candace Owens’ craziest conspiracy theories | World News
If you’ve spent any time online, you’ve likely encountered Candace Owens, a far-right commentator known for promoting conspiracy theories that are often more extreme than those espoused by Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters. Many of her theories have antisemitic undertones, alongside secular beliefs like flat Earth theories or denying that an asteroid caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Among her more antisemitic claims are the beliefs that Israel was involved in 9/11, that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was founded to protect a Jewish paedophile, that Stalin and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were secretly Jewish, and that a covert group of Hollywood Jews orchestrated Michael Jackson’s death. She has also propagated anti-Christian conspiracy theories, such as claiming that the US bombed Nagasaki to target Christians, that elite Jews follow a secret religion called Frankism (based on the teachings of Jacob Frank), and that they were responsible for the Russian and French revolutions to “bring down Christian empires.”
Candace Owens has floated several conspiracy theories about Jews, many of which have drawn significant criticism.
Here’s an overview of the key ones:
- Holocaust Denial and Minimization: Owens has been accused of downplaying the atrocities of the Holocaust, questioning the validity of well-documented events, such as Josef Mengele’s medical experiments. She has also suggested that the Allies committed genocide against German citizens after World War II.
- Khazar Theory: Owens has entertained the discredited Khazar theory, a pseudo-historical claim often used by antisemites. This theory falsely asserts that Ashkenazi Jews are not true descendants of the ancient Israelites but rather of Khazars, a Turkic people who supposedly converted to Judaism in the Middle Ages, aiming to delegitimize the Jewish connection to Israel.
- Israel and 9/11: Owens has suggested that Israel was somehow involved in the 9/11 attacks, a claim with no factual basis, rooted in antisemitic conspiracy thinking that accuses Jews of orchestrating major world events for their benefit.
- Frankism: Owens has linked influential Jewish figures and organizations to Frankism, a secretive sect from the 18th century associated with the Jewish heretic Jacob Frank. She has claimed that modern Jews, particularly those in positions of power, secretly practice this form of satanic worship, connecting it to various global conspiracies.
- ADL and Jewish Protection of Criminals: Owens has argued that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was founded to protect a Jewish paedophile, Leo Frank, distorting the historical facts surrounding the ADL’s founding and maligning the organization’s efforts to combat antisemitism.
- Jewish Control of Media and Economy: Owens has suggested that Jews control the media and global economy, echoing traditional antisemitic tropes. She has defended similar sentiments expressed by Kanye West, stating that Jewish people use their influence to silence critics and control narratives.
Stalin as a Jew: Owens has bizarrely claimed that Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator, was secretly Jewish, despite overwhelming historical evidence to the contrary. This claim is part of her broader pattern of using baseless theories to connect Jewish people to major world events in a negative light.
Does Owens support Trump?
Candace Owens’s relationship with Donald Trump has been a significant aspect of her rise in conservative media and politics. Owens first gained widespread attention during the 2016 presidential campaign when she embraced conservative values and aligned herself with Trump, whose critique of the mainstream media resonated with her personal experiences. Her outspoken support for Trump, especially as a Black woman in a political movement often accused of racism, made her a unique and controversial figure, helping her to build a substantial following.
Owens’s public support for Trump was characterized by her defence of his policies and rhetoric, particularly on issues like race, media bias, and nationalism. She often praised Trump for his bluntness and willingness to challenge the political establishment, which aligned with her own combative style. This alignment with Trump helped Owens secure a prominent place in the conservative movement, leading to her association with organizations like Turning Point USA and eventually her role at The Daily Wire.
In December 2021, Owens conducted a sit-down interview with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which further cemented her status as a significant voice in the conservative media landscape. During the interview, Trump defended the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, a position that contrasted with Owens’s own scepticism about vaccines. This difference of opinion led Owens to suggest that Trump’s views on vaccines were influenced by his age and the era he grew up in, implying that he might not be as informed on the issue as her audience would expect.
Following the interview, Owens faced backlash for her comments about Trump’s age and understanding of vaccines. Reports indicated that Trump was displeased with Owens’s remarks, leading to a brief cooling of their relationship. Owens even publicly questioned Trump’s relevance and vision for a potential 2024 presidential run after the Republican Party’s disappointing performance in the 2022 midterms.
However, despite these tensions, Owens’s overall support for Trump remained intact, though her relationship with him has seen fluctuations. By early 2024, Owens appeared to have warmed back up to Trump, expressing mistrust towards his main political rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. This demonstrates the complex and sometimes strained nature of her relationship with Trump, marked by both strong support and moments of disagreement.
In essence, Owens’s relationship with Trump has been foundational to her identity in conservative media, helping to propel her into the spotlight. While there have been moments of friction, particularly over issues like the COVID-19 vaccine, Owens has largely remained a supporter of Trump, aligning with his broader political vision and continuing to engage with his base.
